1999-12-13 12:52:05
Christmas party
The party was a success. My boss played MC and was a riot. Even D-boy said he wished he had a job that you could be so outrageous and have so much fun (as the boss did).
I really like these co-workers. I couldn't help but have all those drunk "I love you man" feelings, even before I had the first beer. There might be a couple that aren't my favorites, but they weren't at the party. Food stretched all across a huge counter and some of it very accurately represented some of the folks who brought it. Hondo, and yes, that is a radio name but it isn't a diary psuedonym, the funniest guy at work and the guy that should have been cast at Spiccoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High instead of Sean Penn, brought wings from Hooters. Someone brought a bakery cake that said "Merry Fuckin Christmas." I tried to bake something for the party but it came out lousy so we just picked up some cookies at the H.E.B. I'll show off my culinary skills someday by taking something to the office and have my name prominently displayed by it so they will know it is mine.
The festivities began when one of my co-workers finally arrived (late) to the party. I hadn't heard about the incident where he said "piece of fucking shit" on the air in Mississippi. Now, understand, everything we do for the radio is RECORDED IN ADVANCE! There have been cases where the system breaks down and you've cussed because something has gone wrong and it goes to the station and there isn't a way to cancel it or retrieve it. We've been warned over and over not to cuss at all because of that possibility (which, of course, we ignore and still risk our jobs daily by cussing). But Chico apparently said this and then allowed it to go to the station and air. I don't have a clue why he would do that, but he did. He almsot lost his job over it, they said. But, since he did, and it will haunt him for the rest of his day, they had put it on a CD with music and sampling so it was a whole song with "fuc-fuc-fuc-fuckin piece-piece-piece of sh-sh-sh-sh-shit" was a pattern throughout. He bloomed bright red but took it in stride.
There was more "roasting" and teasing of a few of the jocks, but I was left unscathed. Yes, they know I have thin skin. Last year, a girl left in tears, I understand. I saw that she didn't show up this year. I don't have THAT thin of skin.
The gift exchange was fun but my vibrator was one of several and no one knew it was from me so it didn't do anything to change my image.
Now, when it came to Kareoke, I did make some inroads! I performed Folsom Prison Blues for the audience and I hope I wasn't so off-key as to make people cringe yet didn't take it so seriously that they would roll their eyes...as one wannabe rock star jock did on Born to Be Wild. He really should have performed Riders on the Storm because he apparently thought he was Jim Morrison. My sweet husband did not appear to be too embarassed, either.
Another one of our ranks, on the "boss" level, did a slide show type presentation of some Top 15 lists about our company. They were all inside jokes so I won't go into them but they were all funny and made fun of many of our group. No making fun of me, and he apologized to me because he said I had no foibles that made me a good target. I guess that was fine.
I really enjoyed the ride home last night when we finally left the party. We made a swing down Balcones and looked at rich people's houses and their Christmas lights. As we came down steep Mt. Bonnell drive I found it hard to believe I live in a town that has hills like that! As a Panhandle girl I can hardly fathom what hills are except on a vacation. I wish we lived in the hilliest part of Austin. We have some rises and creeks but not the true cliffs and hills.
We also drove down 37th street that I had read in yesterday's paper is a street that goes all out with the lights at Christmas. They certainly did! Thousands and thousands of lights. I liked those small cozy houses even more than the big rich houses. They made me yearn for something I don't have. I don't quite know what. They remind me of my grandparents house in Eastland. I remember driving there through the night at Christmas and arriving and seeing their electric candles with red bulbs in the window.
We also drove around the Capitol and saw the big tree and its lights. Not too ostentatious, just Austin-tatious, I guess. A good size.